The Vampire Hedgehog is the rarest hedgehog in the universe around us. Some live in the tropical regions of South America and the sweltering temperatures of Africa. There are a very few of this species left in the areas they live in. The vampire hedgehog is a nocturnal animal so it only comes out in the darkest hours of the night. these wonders of nature are just amazing to research!
Diet
The Vampire Hedgehog is a blood-thirsty carnivore who attacks cattle and horses in the dead of the night and they will also eat mice, worms, frogs, etc. The hedgehog will use it's razor sharp teeth to suck blood out of their prey. They will attack their prey while on the ground and will suck their blood for a good amount of thirty minutes. they usually drink blood more than feed on their prey because they don't have as many teeth.
Weight, Size, and Lifespan
The Vampire Hedgehog is about the size of a tea cup. They can weigh from a range of 2-14 oz to 14-39 oz. The hedgehog will double in size most o the time while eating their prey. they have very diverse eating patterns than regular hedgehogs do. The average lifespan can be around 4-10 years (depending on their health) or of course, they can live forever, and they will not age either!
Appearance
The vampire hedgehog looks exactly like a regular hedgehog, but the vampire hedgehog has some major differences. They have the signature coat of the stiff, but fatal spines that contain poison in them that can kill anyone or anything that they strike. they only have a few teeth because most of their diet is non-chewable prey. they have a cone-shaped muzzle about 1 inch long. They have a medium sized tail but they don't have a long tail either. their fur comes in a wide variety of colors like dark brown, mocha brown, or blonde. they have two different styles of ears. half of the species has low-lying ears and some have high-pointed ears, almost like a cat.
Behavior and Defense Mechanisms
The baby vampire hedgehogs ae born with their teeth, but the teeth are not as sharp as they are when the animal is an adult.
The Vampire Hedgehog can have mixed emotions. They can go from being happy go lucky, to a mad demon ready to attack its next victim. They are very intelligent and they can usually put up a lot of fight (if they are in a grumpy mood) or they could be very social and sweet, but they always want to attack. For defense, the Vampire Hedgehog will use it's paralyzing spines to pin their prey, or anyone who bothers them. They will also use their razor-sharp teeth if they are too annoyed and they can not take it any longer.
Reproduction and Development
The Vampire Hedgehog can mate in a variety of places. Some o the hedgehogs breed all-year long, and some only breed about 2 times a year. The male and the female will only couple during mating season. In a female vampire hedgehog, gestation is from 5-7 weeks long. It is not known ye how long it takes the the fetus to fully develop before birth. At birth, he mother can have up to 11 babies in her litter. The only live with their mothers for around 7 weeks and then they venture out on their own. The mothers will usually protect them from other males, and if her nest is disturbed she will either move them to a new nest, or if she is desperate, she will just simply eat her young. Crazy right?!
How to Help
The Vampire Hedgehog is at the brink of extinction. They are being hunted everywhere, and the population is dramatically dropping. the people in South America is trying to sop this terrible tragedy. Doing so, South America holds a yearly fundraiser, also know as The Vampire Hedgehog Foundation (VHF) to raise money to ask for a law that forbids people to hunt these beautiful species all around the world. These species need help to survive and their habitats are being lost because of new buildings and roads, so the hedgehogs have no where to go. When they travel for new habitats, they are often killed by larger predators that they are unfamiliar with, there for, the population is dropping a lot. I urge you to take a stand to save these precious and rare animals.
The Vampire Hedgehog shows off it's two regcognizable fangs, which is the key factor in these hedgehogs.
By: Bridget
The Vampire Hedgehog is the rarest hedgehog in the universe around us. Some live in the tropical regions of South America and the sweltering temperatures of Africa. There are a very few of this species left in the areas they live in. The vampire hedgehog is a nocturnal animal so it only comes out in the darkest hours of the night. these wonders of nature are just amazing to research!
DietThe Vampire Hedgehog is a blood-thirsty carnivore who attacks cattle and horses in the dead of the night and they will also eat mice, worms, frogs, etc. The hedgehog will use it's razor sharp teeth to suck blood out of their prey. They will attack their prey while on the ground and will suck their blood for a good amount of thirty minutes. they usually drink blood more than feed on their prey because they don't have as many teeth.
Weight, Size, and LifespanThe Vampire Hedgehog is about the size of a tea cup. They can weigh from a range of 2-14 oz to 14-39 oz. The hedgehog will double in size most o the time while eating their prey. they have very diverse eating patterns than regular hedgehogs do. The average lifespan can be around 4-10 years (depending on their health) or of course, they can live forever, and they will not age either!
AppearanceThe vampire hedgehog looks exactly like a regular hedgehog, but the vampire hedgehog has some major differences. They have the signature coat of the stiff, but fatal spines that contain poison in them that can kill anyone or anything that they strike. they only have a few teeth because most of their diet is non-chewable prey. they have a cone-shaped muzzle about 1 inch long. They have a medium sized tail but they don't have a long tail either. their fur comes in a wide variety of colors like dark brown, mocha brown, or blonde. they have two different styles of ears. half of the species has low-lying ears and some have high-pointed ears, almost like a cat.
Behavior and Defense MechanismsThe Vampire Hedgehog can have mixed emotions. They can go from being happy go lucky, to a mad demon ready to attack its next victim. They are very intelligent and they can usually put up a lot of fight (if they are in a grumpy mood) or they could be very social and sweet, but they always want to attack. For defense, the Vampire Hedgehog will use it's paralyzing spines to pin their prey, or anyone who bothers them. They will also use their razor-sharp teeth if they are too annoyed and they can not take it any longer.
Reproduction and DevelopmentThe Vampire Hedgehog can mate in a variety of places. Some o the hedgehogs breed all-year long, and some only breed about 2 times a year. The male and the female will only couple during mating season. In a female vampire hedgehog, gestation is from 5-7 weeks long. It is not known ye how long it takes the the fetus to fully develop before birth. At birth, he mother can have up to 11 babies in her litter. The only live with their mothers for around 7 weeks and then they venture out on their own. The mothers will usually protect them from other males, and if her nest is disturbed she will either move them to a new nest, or if she is desperate, she will just simply eat her young. Crazy right?!
How to HelpThe Vampire Hedgehog is at the brink of extinction. They are being hunted everywhere, and the population is dramatically dropping. the people in South America is trying to sop this terrible tragedy. Doing so, South America holds a yearly fundraiser, also know as The Vampire Hedgehog Foundation (VHF) to raise money to ask for a law that forbids people to hunt these beautiful species all around the world. These species need help to survive and their habitats are being lost because of new buildings and roads, so the hedgehogs have no where to go. When they travel for new habitats, they are often killed by larger predators that they are unfamiliar with, there for, the population is dropping a lot. I urge you to take a stand to save these precious and rare animals.
Citations
Hedgehog. National Geographic. 2013
Vampire Health. Exotic Nutrition. 2013
Vampire Bat. Batworld. 2013
Hedgehogs. Hedgehog Headquarters. 6782
Hedgehogs. Wikkipedia. 2056
Hedgehogs. The Supernatural World Of The Hedgeyhogs. 2013.